Round one return 'touch-and-go' for Greg Inglis after ACL recovery

By Matt Encarnacion

Updated12 February 2018 — 11:28amfirst published at 11:21am

South Sydney captain Greg Inglis fears he may miss the NRL season-opener as he searches for confidence in his reconstructed knee.

Inglis took a major step in his recovery from an ACL tear suffered in round one last year by completing his first full week of training, but admits he may not be back in time for the Warriors clash on March 10.

Ahead of the pack: Greg Inglis (left) completes his first week of training as part of his recovery from an ACL tear.

Photo: Brendan Esposito

"It's touch-and-go (for) round one," Inglis told AAP on Monday.

"In our game there's a lot of high speed turning and twisting. That takes a toll on anybody's knee. And coming back from an ACL, it's just about getting that confidence up."

Inglis' anticipated return has been a hot topic in the NRL since he checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic for depression months after sustaining the injury.

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And the Kangaroos and Queensland State of Origin star isn't afraid to admit he's still addressing his mental health issues professionally.

"You're always dealing with it. It's just something that comes and goes. I have people who I can ring and rely on," he said.

"That's the one thing that people don't understand - once you go through this, you continue your therapy because you never know when it comes back. It's like a snowball effect.

"If you don't keep on top of it, well then it's just going to keep recurring."

Inglis said he'd been left stunned by the support from the rugby league family, as well as the impact his battle has had across the wider community.

The 31-year-old encouraged people to speak up when facing similar problems.

"I'm getting letters from fans, from people around the world saying thank you for speaking out. I'm just glad that I did something for myself, but it helped a lot of other people," he said.

"It was a massive surprise, to be quite honest. I didn't realise the impact I had on other people's lives until people started coming up to me and thanking me.

"I did this purely for myself, but I'm glad it's helped others."

Inglis has already been ruled out of the team's two upcoming trial matches against Wigan and St George Illawarra, with Alex Johnston likely to start the year at fullback.

Inglis conceded his injury has made him consider switching to the centres in what would be a lethal combination with Dane Gagai, but he will be guided by new coach Anthony Seibold.

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"I think it's just getting out there and making up a good game plan, what the best combination is for the side," he said.